Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (born August 29, 1958) is an American recording artist, dancer, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Referred to as the King of Pop, Rock and Soul or in abbreviated form as the King of Pop or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The 8th child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of the Jackson 5, then the Jacksons in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971. In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It," "Billie Jean," and "Thriller," were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel MTV to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on MTV in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk, to which he gave the name. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced numerous hip hop, pop, contemporary R&B, and rock artists. Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 #1 singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which have made him the most-awarded recording artists in the history of music. He was also a notable humanitarian and philanthropist, donating and raising hundreds of millions of dollars for beneficial causes and supporting more than 39 charities. According to David Winters, Jackson also donated tens of millions of dollars to many children's charities anonymously, and spent a lot of his time visiting seriously ill children tirelessly going from hospital to hospital meeting these children just to brighten up their lives. When Jackson finished the visits, he would ask the hospital nurses and the doctors what was needed at the hospital in terms of equipment for the children and would then make anonymous donations to the hospital to purchase expensive equipment or whatever else was needed. Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, have generated controversy. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury ruled him not guilty on all counts. Biography Discography 'Albums ' (1972) Got to Be There (1972) BEN (1973) Music & Me (1975) Forever, Michael (1979) Off the Wall (1982) Thriller (1987) BAD (1991) Dangerous (1995) History: Past, Present, and Future: Book 1 (2001) Invincible Michael Jackson Video Albums * Dangerous - The Short Films * HIStory on Film, Volume II * Moonwalker * Number Ones * Video Greatest Hits - HIStory 'AWARDS and ACHIEVEMENTS' AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS ' '(1980) ' ''Favorite Male Artist (Soul/R&B) ''Michael Jackson' ''Favorite Album (Soul/R&B) ''Off the Wall '' Favorite Single (Soul/R&B) ''Don't Stop Til' You Get Enough '' '(1981) ' Favorite Male Artist (Soul/R&B) ''Michael Jackson '' Favorite Album (Soul/R&B) ''Off the Wall' '(1984) ' ''Award of Merit ''Michael Jackson '' Favorite Male Artist (Pop/Rock and Soul/R&B) ''Michael Jackson ''Favorite Album (Pop/Rock and Soul/R&B) ''Thriller '' Favorite Single ''Billie Jean '' Favorite Video (Pop/Rock and Soul/R&B) ''Beat It '' '(1986) ' Award of Appreciation ''Michael Jackson '' Song of the Year ''We Are the World (with Lionel Richie) '' '(1988) ' Award of Achievement ''Michael Jackson '(1993) International Artist Award ''Michael Jackson '' Favorite Album (Pop/Rock) ''Dangerous '' Favorite Single (Soul/R&B) ''Remember the Time '' (1996) ' ''Favorite Male Artist (Pop/Rock) ''Michael Jackson '' '''(2002) Artist of the Century ''Michael Jackson '' (2009) ' ''Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist ''Michael Jackson '' Favorite Soul/R&B Male Artist ''Michael Jackson' ''Favorite Pop/Rock Album ''Number Ones '' Favorite Soul/R&B Album ''Number Ones' '''GRAMMY AWARDS ' '(1980) ' Best R&B Male Vocal Performance ''Don't Stop Til' You Get Enough' '(1984) Album of the Year ''Thriller '' Best Male Pop Vocal Performance ''Thriller '' Record of The Year ''Beat It '' Best Pop Vocal Performance by Duo or Group ''The Girl Is Mine Ft. Paul McCartney '' Best Recording for Children ''Extra Terrestrial (with Quincy Jones) '' Producer of the Year, Non-Classical ''Thriller (with Quincy Jones) '' (1985) ' ''Best Video Album ''Making Michael Jackson's Thriller '' '''(1986) Song of the Year ''We Are the World (with Lionel Richie)' '(1990)' ''Best Music Video, Short Form ''Leave Me Alone '' (1996) Best Music Video, Short Form ''Scream (with Janet Jackson)' '''WORLD MUSIC AWARDS ' (1989) Lifetime Achievement in Video '' '(1993) ' ''Best Selling U.S. Artist of the Year '' ''World's Best Selling Pop Artist '' ''World's Best Selling Artist of the Era '' '(1996) ' ''Best Selling Artist of 1996 '' ''Best Selling American Artist '' ''Best Selling Artist Ever '' ''Best Selling R&B Artist '' ''Best Selling Record of All Time ''Thriller '' '(2000) ' Best Selling Artist Male Artist of the Millennium '' '(2006) ' ''Diamond Award Trivia Similar Artists References External links Category:Artists Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Pop artists Category:R&B Artists Category:Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Category:Singer-songwriters Category:Legacy Recordings artists Category:Musicians from Indiana